Frederik V. Zachariae

Frederik Vilhelm Zachariae, 80, died Nov. 25, 2003. He was born June 27, 1923 in Young, Ariz.

A massive stroke in 1996 ended a lifelong career as an active rancher, who followed in the footsteps of his father. Except for three years as a mechanic on bombers in World War II, Mr. Zachariae was a working cowboy all his life. He also enjoyed operating his dozers and other heavy duty construction equipment. He built a number of roads around Pleasant Valley, as well as most of the stock tanks on the allotments surrounding Young.

Mr. Zachariae raised Hereford cattle all his life. He and his sister, Marie, and her husband Marion Mann, continued to add to the family homesteads and remained partners until about 1959.

In 1969, he married Barbara Lynn Uken, nee Johnson, an Air Force widow with three children. A 46-year-old bachelor, he adapted to his ready made family over the years.

In 1975, he and several members of the family were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He served for seven years on the Young School Board, and actively promoted the additional acreage to enlarge the Young Cemetery, of which he is a trustee. He had an incredible memory, providing a wealth of historical information about Pleasant Valley.

In 1996, Mr. Zachariae suffered a stroke that left him in a wheelchair. However, his newly found leisure enabled him and his wife to travel to places he would never have seen as a working cowboy. He cruised the Panama Canal, saw the Atlantic Ocean, wheeled himself across the Arctic Circle, and saw many of the back roads, beaches, autumn leaves, mountains and farms and ranch lands from California to Nova Scotia, Florida to Alaska.

Arizona remained his favorite place.

In May of 2003, he formally adopted Barbara's children.

He is survived by his wife Barbara; children David Gerald, Sara Lynn and Marla Mignon; his nephew Tom Mann and niece Caroline Dodd of Young; and John Mann of Goldwaite, Texas.

He was preceded in death by his father Frederik, mother Eunice Wooldridge, and his uncle, Joe Zachariae -- all of whom are buried in Young.

Services will be held at 1 p.m., Monday, Dec. 1, at the Young Baptist Church, followed by lunch and interment at the Young Cemetery.